One in 20 workers are in ‘useless’ jobs – far fewer than previously thought
The so-called ‘bullshit jobs theory’ – which argues that a large and rapidly increasing number of workers are undertaking jobs that they themselves recognise as being useless and of no social value – contains several major flaws, argue researchers from the universities of Cambridge and Birmingham.
Extra classroom time may do little to help pupils recover lost learning after COVID-19
Adding extra classroom time to the school day may only result in marginal gains for pupils who have lost learning during the COVID pandemic, a study says.
Many of us could carry up to 17kg of fat due to a change in a single gene
New research has found that one in every 340 people might carry a mutation in a single gene that makes them more likely to have a greater weight from early childhood and, by 18 years of age, they could be up to 30 pounds heavier with the excess weight likely to be mostly fat.
Switching off heart protein could protect against heart failure
Switching off a heart muscle protein could provide a new way for drugs to combat heart failure in people who’ve had a heart attack, according to research led by the University of Cambridge.
The archive of Stephen Hawking has been saved for the nation
A treasure trove of archive papers and personal objects – from Stephen Hawking's seminal works on theoretical physics to scripts from episodes of The Simpsons – are to be divided between two of the UK’s leading cultural institutions following a landmark Acceptance in Lieu (AIL) agreement on behalf of the nation.
Physical activity may help to close the wealth gap in school attainment by improving self-control
Guaranteeing every child the opportunity to participate in certain types of physical activity could support their academic attainment and help to close the achievement gap between wealthy and less-advantaged pupils, new research indicates.
Cambridge Advance Online courses open up University of Cambridge as part of major digital learning expansion
The University of Cambridge’s world-class teaching, thinking and research is available to professionals worldwide through a new programme of online courses.
DNA sequencing pioneers awarded Millennium Technology Prize
Cambridge Professors Shankar Balasubramanian and David Klenerman have been awarded the Millennium Technology Prize for their development of revolutionary DNA sequencing techniques.
Climate Exp0 – International climate conference being hosted by UK universities ahead of COP26
A week-long conference brings together leading scientists, government ministers and experts from around the world to set the agenda ahead of the United Nations Climate Change conference.
Kelp, maggots and mycoprotein among future foods that must be mass-farmed to combat malnutrition
Radical changes to the food system are needed to safeguard our food supply and combat malnutrition in the face of climate change, environmental degradation and epidemics, says new report.
Year 8 students work with Cambridge researchers to help their peers learn about the census
Researchers from the University of Cambridge’s Department of Geography and Year 8 students in Wales have worked together to produce a series of learning resources based on census data, showing how the country has changed over time.
The Academy of Medical Sciences announces election of new Fellows 2021
Cambridge scientists are among the new Fellows announced today by the Academy of Medical Sciences.
Nature has enormous potential to fight climate change and biodiversity loss in the UK - report
A report just launched by the British Ecological Society, with contributions from the University of Cambridge, offers the first complete assessment of the potential of nature-based solutions to mitigate climate change and benefit biodiversity in the UK.
‘Pre-bunk’ tactics reduce public susceptibility to COVID-19 conspiracies and falsehoods, study finds
Latest research on digital interventions deployed by UK government and UNESCO suggests that exposing people to a “microdose” of techniques used by misinformation merchants helps “inoculate” them against fake news about the pandemic.
Can federated learning save the world?
Training the artificial intelligence models that underpin web search engines, power smart assistants and enable driverless cars, consumes megawatts of energy and generates worrying carbon dioxide emissions. But new ways of training these models are proven to be greener.
Unhealthy patterns of diet, exercise, and sleep linked to high risk of cardiovascular disease in autistic people
Autistic people have far greater risks of long term physical health conditions than others, but the reasons for this remain unclear. New research from the University of Cambridge suggests that unhealthy lifestyle habits may be an important contributing factor.
Cambridge battery tech spinout Echion continues to scale
Echion Technologies, spin-out company from the University of Cambridge Department of Engineering, supplies high-power Li-ion battery anode materials that enable superfast charging for a range of applications, from consumer electronics to electric vehicles.
The Royal Society announces election of new Fellows 2021
Cambridge scientists are among the new Fellows announced by the Royal Society.
New inkjet printing method could accelerate drug discovery and printed personalised drug delivery
Cambridge engineers have demonstrated – for the first time – the digital inkjet printing and self-organisation of microdroplets on fluid surfaces to create structures of functional materials.
Loan applications processed around midday more likely to be rejected
Bank credit officers are more likely to approve loan applications earlier and later in the day, while ‘decision fatigue’ around midday is associated with defaulting to the safer option of saying no.
Exploit plants’ ability to tell the time to make food production more sustainable, say scientists
Cambridge plant scientists say circadian clock genes, which enable plants to measure daily and seasonal rhythms, should be targeted in agriculture and crop breeding for higher yields and more sustainable farming.
New cancer algorithm flags genetic weaknesses in tumours
A new way to identify tumours that could be sensitive to particular immunotherapies has been developed using data from thousands of NHS cancer patient samples sequenced through the 100,000 Genomes Project.
Scientists develop new class of cancer drug with potential to treat leukaemia
Scientists have made a promising step towards developing a new drug for treating acute myeloid leukaemia, a rare blood disorder. In a study published in Nature, Cambridge researchers report a new approach to cancer treatment that targets enzymes which play a key role in translating DNA into proteins and which could lead to a new class of cancer drugs.
Fourth University of Cambridge nursery under construction
A new University of Cambridge nursery building for the children of staff and students is under construction to the south of the city, near Hills Road.
New book explores 'the inner workings of a virtual personal assistant'
Steve Young is Emeritus Professor of Information Engineering at the University of Cambridge. His new book "Hey Cyba" explains through examples and diagrams, the neural network technology underlying speech recognition and synthesis, natural language understanding, knowledge representation, conversation management, language translation and chatbot technology.